Two people have died and at least three others were seriously injured following a car ramming and stabbing attack outside the Heaton Park Hebrew Congregation Synagogue in the Crumpsall neighborhood of north Manchester on Thursday, October 2.
The incident occurred as members of the Jewish community were observing Yom Kippur, the holiest day in the Jewish calendar.
Greater Manchester Police (GMP) declared a “major incident” shortly after 9:30 a.m. (0830 GMT) when officers were called to the scene.
The attack involved a car being driven at pedestrians and a man, believed to be a security guard, being stabbed. Armed officers responded quickly, and shots were fired by GMP firearms officers at 9:38 a.m. One man, believed to be the offender, was shot.
Authorities have not yet confirmed the suspect’s death, as a bomb disposal unit was deployed to the scene due to suspicious items found on his person. The two fatalities and three serious injuries resulted from a combination of the vehicle and stab wounds.
Following the incident, the North West Ambulance Service declared a major incident, and police activated Operation Plato, the national guidance for responding to a “marauding terrorist attack,” mobilizing a coordinated, multi-agency effort.
UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer condemned the assault, stating he was “appalled by the attack” and noting that its timing on Yom Kippur makes it “all the more horrific.”
He cut short his trip to an EU summit in Denmark to return to London to chair a COBRA emergency committee meeting.
Mayor of Greater Manchester, Andy Burnham, described it as a “serious incident” but offered reassurance that the “immediate danger appears to be over,” thanking police and on-site security for their rapid response.
The Community Security Trust (CST) also acknowledged the “appalling attack on the holiest day of the Jewish year.” The attack takes place just days ahead of the second anniversary of the October 7, 2023 attacks on Israel.
